


Transparent

by taeyeontrash



Category: K-pop
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-12-10 21:15:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11700036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taeyeontrash/pseuds/taeyeontrash
Summary: They say you'll know immediately when you meet your soulmate. Who's to say that you won't?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there everyone! This'll be my first fic. Enjoy!

“Come on, Seul, I’m running on three hours of sleep here!” Wendy whined into her pillow. She felt a thump on her back, presumably from her cousin’s bag that was tossed from across the room. _God, I never should have gone to the gym today_ , she thought.

“I don’t care. You made me sit through your stupid baking show and you didn’t even feed me. You’ll survive twenty minutes of my art show. Now get your lazy ass out of bed and shower – you’re repulsing everything but flies,” Her body lurched forward, meeting the ground with a disgruntled squawk as Seulgi hovered over her on the bed. “Let’s go! We’re going to be late!”

Groaning, she lifted her sore body from the sanctuary of the soft carpet. She never should have listened to her mother when she suggested her cousin as a roommate for her first year of college.

_It’ll be perfect,_ she’d said, _you’ll already know what your roommate is like! And that she isn’t crazy._

Right.

“Go, go, go!” Seul nagged, throwing another wayward object towards her as she trudged to the bathroom, “We’re leaving in 45 minutes sharp!”

Grumbling, she closed the bathroom door before undressing and turning to the tub. Sighing, she turned on the water, reaching her hand to test out the temperature. Yelping, she drew her hand back from the icy stream. She turned back to the door with a frown.

“Seul! Did you use all the hot water?!” She hollered. A faint rustling came from behind the door.

“What?” Came the reply, voice slightly muffled by the running water.

Rolling her eyes, she wrapped her arms around herself and strode towards the entrance. “I asked if you used all the hot water!” Strands of light brown fell over her arms, tickling her skin into more goosebumps.

“Bitch, I have to shower too! Not my fault you got in after I did.” The taller girl’s voice sounded as irritated as Wendy felt.

Wendy sighed dejectedly, facing the freezing torrent of water. She stepped into the tub, inhaling sharply as she felt her back be pelted by the droplets. The water drenched her hair as she clenched her hands to form fists, head bowed towards her feet. Cracking one eye open, she spotted the black line of words wrapped around her ankle.

_Joohyun._ Her soulmate.

She hadn’t met them. Yet. Sometimes, Wendy thought, it felt like she’d never meet them at all. Shaking her head clear of the troubling thoughts, she reached for her bottle of shampoo, squirting a generous amount and slathering it onto her scalp.

_Someday._

* * *

 

"It looks beautiful, Seul," Irene said in a hushed voice. She looked over to her classmate and longtime friend, noting the twinkle in her eyes as she proudly beheld her own sculpture and months of hard work. Students and family were bustling to and fro, making their way around the room filled with art pieces made by their relatives and friends.

"Thanks!" The taller girl beamed, flicking strands of blonde out of her eyes. "I agree, although yours is a close second to my masterpiece."

Irene let out a snort, shoving the younger girl lightly as she chuckled. "Asshole." Turning back to the piece, she admired her own work on display next to the sculpture when an unfamiliar voice piped up from behind them, getting clearer as it got closer.

"It's pretty awesome, I'll admit, but-" the owner of the voice bustled forward through the crowd, a plate with various snacks and refreshments provided by the art department held securely in her hand, "-what exactly is it supposed to be? No offense, Seul."

Irene was greeted with a girl around her height, dressed in a dark hoodie that had some band she'd never heard of printed on the front of it, paired with skinny jeans that hugged in all the right places. She had an approachable feel to her, due to the wide grin she was sporting at her friend and warm brown eyes that reminded Irene of her favorite drink.

(Hot chocolate with a dash of peppermint and vanilla.)

Seulgi smacked the stranger on the head, nearly sending the plate to the ground. "It's art, Wen. It doesn't _have_ to be _anything,_ dimwit."

"Ow! What the hell, Seul!? It was just a question, sheesh." The smaller girl rubbed at her head, her eyes going wide as she finally noticed Irene. "Oh. Hello there."

"Hi," Irene smiled at her, noticing how shy the girl had become. She extended her hand. "I'm Irene. Pleasure to meet you."

"Wendy," she returned, taking Irene's hand in her own. Her eyes made brief contact with Irene's before turning away. "You must be on some mission from God, seeing as you're a friend of Seulgi's." She grinned as she said the last comment, pulling her hand back. Irene found herself intrigued by the charming smile and eyes that held too much mischief for someone that looked as innocent as the girl in front of her.

That earned her another whack to the head, courtesy of the blonde. Irene bit back a chuckle, already fond of the two as she watched Wendy cradle her head with her free hand. Seulgi continued her playful assault, swinging her arm around the shorter girl's neck and pulled her into a headlock as she spoke, words directed to Irene.

"Anyways, before I forget to ask, would you like to have a sleepover tomorrow night?" Wendy tried to squirm out of the hold, but Seulgi was firm and unwavering. Giving up, she let her body go limp as she came to terms with her fate. "We can finally watch that horror movie I've been telling you about."

"Are you sure your roommate won't mind?" Irene said worriedly. Wendy, still doubled over, continued eating her snacks pathetically. "I wouldn't want to bother her in case she also has plans. I'd hate for her first impression of me be that I was invading her space."

"Oh, no, of course not. She's too anti-social to have friends," Seulgi released Wendy, laughing at the indignant look on her face.

"Excuse me," Wendy protested, crumbs lining her lips. "Just because I don't have them over all the time doesn't mean they don't exist."

Irene felt her eyebrow raise as she directed her words to Seulgi. "I didn't know that you two were roommates?"

"Unfortunately, yes. That's the only reason I know this weirdo," Seulgi tilted her head in the direction of her pouting cousin, "There was no way out of it, sadly."

Wendy huffed, bringing another cookie to her mouth. "It's not like you're easy to live with, either. It's a good thing I haven't met your boyfriend yet, otherwise he'd be running in the opposite direction."

Irene's second brow rose, a smirk making its way to her face. "Is she really that bad?" It had been a long time since she'd heard anyone tease Seulgi – not since Joy had decided on a different major and was no longer seen loitering about the art department.

Seulgi shot Wendy a withering death glare before the latter continued with a twinkle in her eye, "Oh, she's _awful_. You'd never guess it, but she has this giant- " and was promptly cut off by a hand flying over her mouth.

"OKAY, I think that's enough for tonight, we should get you home," Seulgi nervously laughed, tugging her backwards with her toward the door. "Tomorrow night! Don't forget!" She yelled through the flood of people as Wendy half-heartedly waved in her direction.

Irene waved back, covering her smile with a hand. _What a pair._

* * *

 

It had been an eventful day for Wendy, to say the least. Bumping into her ex (a painfully awkward exchange consisting of _hello, how are you_ ’s and polite smiles), working off the annoyance at the gym, being dragged to her cousin's lame senior project art show.

All topped off with meeting a girl who took her breath away.

_Irene_ , Wendy remembered. Long locks of deep burgundy framed her face perfectly, accentuating her gentle jawline and smooth, pale skin. She had wanted to reach out and prove if it was as soft as it looked, but that’d be weird and creepy and _God, Wen, you need to calm down._

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing hazy images of the beautiful girl to go disappear as she rolled around on her sheets. Frustrated, she sat up and let her legs dangle over the edge while waiting for her eyes to adjust. Fresh moonlight drifted through the open curtains, giving the illusion of deceitful warmth despite the season. Her toes curled instinctively into the soft carpet as a draft from the window blew. She wondered if she had always disliked the cold, bringing mood swings along with fresh coats of snow and bitter breezes.

Getting up, she wrapped a blanket around herself, heading towards the kitchen. Seulgi’s soft snores floated past her ears, the familiar sound putting Wendy’s racing heart to rest. _Endearing bear_ , she smiled softly, _I wonder what it must be like to sleep like a rock._ She passed Seulgi’s room, intent on brewing a cup of hot chocolate to help pass the time.

She reached into the fridge, drawing back when she spied the milk already on the cupboard.

She needs to remind Seulgi to put it away when she goes to bed.

Uncapping the container, she poured it into the kettle, placing it on the stove. Heat emanated from the plate to thaw her slim fingers, playing as a friend in the bitter winter months. She spied her favorite mug after opening the cupboard door – it’s crescent moon handle stretched into a galaxy-like ceramic base with small planets surrounding the outside.

_Drinking from the stars._

It was cheesy, and not entirely well-made, but Wendy couldn’t bring herself to throw away the gift. Painful thoughts reminded her of a long-forgotten past, drawing a sad smile to her face at the reminiscent memories.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts, head snapping up at the sound. “Oh, it’s just you,” Wendy exhaled quickly at the nearing silhouette, “Jesus, Seul, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” replied the taller girl, a sheepish grin on her face, “I heard you get up.” She made her way to the counter, accidentally checking her hip on the edge. “Ow!”

Wendy bit back a smile as she grabbed an extra thermos, “Careful there, gimpy. Don’t want you to break something else, now do we?”

A half-hearted swat aimed for her head while she snickered, finding its mark. “I can’t see anything, dumbass – it’s pitch black in here. It’s like you _enjoy_ being surrounded by darkness or something.”

“Ah!” Wendy exaggerated, scrunching her face in mock pain, free hand clutching her skull. “I think you really did something this time – I can’t see anything.”

“Sure,” an ungraceful snort served as her reply. “I’d have to knock you into a wall to do any sort of damage with a head as thick as yours.”

Wendy stuck her tongue out, the older girl taking the thermos from her hands while switching on the light. She leaned against the counter, crossing her arms as she studied her smaller roommate.

“Anyways, what’s got you up?” she probed, curious eyes meeting Wendy’s.

“Nothing.” She turned away, removing the pan from the heat before grabbing the hot chocolate mix.

_Nobody._

“Liar.”

Her head snapped up to meet Seulgi’s gaze, an unreadable look upon the latter’s face. “Why would I lie to you?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” Seulgi challenged. She raised her eyebrows. “Nothing seems like a whole lot of something if it’s not enough to keep you calm.”

The younger girl opted for silence, rhythmically stirring in the chocolate powder in the vain attempt to quell her thoughts. Snippets of conversations similar to this flashed behind her eyes,

 

_“You wouldn’t be up if it wasn’t for ‘nothing’, now would you?” a hand enters her vision, tilting her chin up. The warmth from her fingers comforts Wendy, enticing the truth. “I’ve only seen you drink this when something is really bothering you.”_

_“It’s no one. I-I mean nothing!” she stammers, picking up her mug – hot chocolate with peppermint – and turning her back to the voice. She can’t look into her eyes a second longer._

_“Okay,” she hears from behind her. “I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me.”_

_She stiffens. Her voice cracks, giving away her weakness, her insecurities._

_“It isn’t that I’m not ready – it’s that_ you _aren’t.”_

 

She attempted to grab Seulgi’s cup, but the latter extended her arm away from Wendy’s. “Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

The brunette retracted her hand, face impassive. “Fine. Don’t have some of my delicious hot chocolate. Your loss.” She tucked her loose hair behind her ear nonchalantly.

“Noooo,” Seulgi whined, grabbing at Wendy’s sleeve when she tried to walk out of the room. “I don’t need to know anything, I just need sustenance.”

Wendy stopped at the tug to her arm, a knowing smirk giving her away. “Well alright then, if you insist.” She returned to the stove, emptying the pot into the thermos cradled between her roommate’s hands.

“Thanks!” Seulgi looked as if nothing had wronged her, a bubbly smile lighting up her eyes.

“Anytime, Seul,” Wendy said softly, staring into her liquid-comfort. “Thank _you_.”

“And don’t forget – Irene is sleeping over tomorrow.”

_Shit._


	2. Sliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying it so far. Updates will be sporatic, but I'll try to keep them as close together as possible! Thank you for reading! Please comment and Subscribe!

“I’m telling you, unnie, if we follow my plan, then we’ll never get caught!” Joy insisted, waving the plans in front of Irene’s face to emphasize her point. They walked through the courtyard, minutes before Irene’s next class began. _Political science,_ she groaned internally. Science had never been her strong point. Or politics.

“ _No¸_ Sooyoung, we are absolutely _not_ breaking into your professor’s office just so you can see if you scored higher than Yerim.” Irene swatted at the paper, nearly tumbling to the ground when the taller girl obscured her vision. 

Joy frowned. “But unnie, I need to know what to use for our bet.”

“Bet?” Irene questioned suspiciously.

“Yes. If I already know I win, then I won’t have to be worried about getting the consequence,” she smiled slyly, waggling her eyebrows. 

“And if you lose? 

“Then….” Joy scrunched her face, “It won’t matter because I won’t bet to begin with.”

Irene let out a laugh. “Well then, Sooyoung, it sounds like you shouldn’t bet at all. Just in case.” 

They passed the front doors, the hallway crowded with students on their way to class. As they rounded a corner, Irene felt herself collide with a body, hand shooting out to grab the stranger’s arm in an attempt to steady herself as her textbooks toppled to the ground.

“Ohmygod I’m so sorry!” a voice rushed out, oddly familiar. 

Irene recovered, staring at the hand gripped around her bicep before meeting Wendy’s eyes in confusion. 

“Wendy-ssi,” she exclaimed, “Are you alright?” She brought her other hand up, cradling the shorter girl’s elbow. 

Wendy brushed the dust off herself, flashing Irene a reassuring smile, “Yes, of course! I’m so sorry – I didn’t mean to knock your books to the ground.” She bent down, piling the material into stacks then handing them to Irene. Her expression was not dissimilar to a kicked puppy, eyes wide and brow furrowed. “Are you okay? I’ve been told I’m pretty solid.”

“You look solid enough,” Joy stated from beside Wendy, giving her a once-over. “No offense.”

“Sooyoung, watch your tone,” Irene scolded the redhead, only half-meaning it. 

“It’s ‘Joy’, unnie” she grumbled in response, “How many times do I have to tell you.”

Wendy looked back and forth between them, an amused look playing across her face. “Am I interrupting something…?”

“No, not at all,” Joy tore her gaze from Irene, extending a hand to Wendy. “My name is Joy, but this grandma insists on calling me by my given name.”

Wendy took it, her smile so wide that Irene could count all her teeth, “Pleasure to meet you! I’m Wendy. I understand not wanting to go by what your parents called you – mine is pretty awful.”

“Wendy is Seulgi’s roommate, actually,” Irene interjected, waiting for the taller girl’s reaction with a smile.

“Is that right?” Joy pulled Wendy in by their joined hands, whispering conspiratorially, “So tell me – what kind of nerdy-ass collection does that bear hide in her room?”

Irene had to stop herself from rolling her eyes when Wendy grinned playfully, joining her antics.

“You’d never guess, but on the shelf by her bed, she keeps this –” her answer was cut short by a shout from the end of the corridor. 

“Unnie!” Kim Yerim waved at the trio. They turned their heads to see a younger girl, mischief in her eyes as she bounded towards them. 

“I’ll see you later, Irene,” Joy sighed. “I have to get to class.”

Irene looked surprised, “I thought your class didn’t start for another hour. Did they bump it?”

“Nope.” she stated simply, turning and striding in the opposite direction with one hand throwing a lazy wave, the other gripping the strap of her backpack. “See you later!”

“Maybe she needed to study,” Wendy suggested, shrugging at a confused Irene. 

The older girl scoffed, “Park Sooyoung doesn’t ‘study’ – she sleeps. It’s a blessing she’s naturally intelligent.” 

Wendy snickered just as Yeri reached them, the younger girl  casually resting her arm on Wendy’s shoulder. “Where’d Joy go? She’s usually free this time of day.”

“So _that’s_ your soulmate?” Wendy pointedly teased. “You’ve got a lot of work to do if you want her to like you, Yerim.”

Yeri slapped a hand over her mouth, muffling any sound. “What the _fuck_ ¸ unnie, you’re worse than my mom.”

Irene felt her jaw go slack. “Sooyoung is your soulmate?!” She turned to Wendy accusingly. “And you know?”

Wendy offered a shrug, pointing to Yeri’s hand still covering her mouth. 

“Oh no, I’m not letting you blab any more of my secrets.” Yeri accused, face pulling into a grimace when she felt something slimy touch the palm of her hand. She jerked away from a laughing Wendy, disgusted. 

“That’s better,” Wendy looked satisfied with herself and directed her words to Irene. “I only know who her soulmate is because I saw it once. I didn’t realize it was Joy.” 

_ Right,  _ Irene thought to herself, _soulmates aren’t always romantic._ “Do you know who hers is?” She asked the youngest. 

A shake of the head. “Nope. I don’t think she has hers yet – or, if she has, she hasn’t told me.”

Some people’s tattoos appear when they are born – some don’t find out until they’re halfway through their life. Irene is glad she knew early on, though she hasn’t met them yet. She wonders if there are some who never end up meeting their soulmate. 

“All the luck in the world to you, then,” Wendy raised a fist in support, patting the adolescent on the back. 

“Don’t think I forgot about how you blurted that out, unnie.” Yeri lightly shoved her, adjusting her bag before waving to the pair, disappearing into the flood of students surrounding them. 

“Well,” Irene began, turning to Wendy. “I suppose I should get going. I’ll see you tonight, then?” 

Wendy felt herself blush. Then it dawned on her that Irene was  talking about her  sleepover with Seulgi. _Not you, dumbass. She’s Seulgi’s friend, get it together_. 

She straightened, clearing her throat. “Yes! I’ll see you tonight.” With a wave, she turned down the hall before she could embarrass herself any further. 

Irene raised her hand half-heartedly, a quizzical look followed by a chuckle. She allowed her feet to take her to her next class, images of light brown hair and warm eyes floating through her mind. 

* * *

“Yah, Kang Seulgi, put that down,” Wendy chided, all but snatching the bag of popcorn out of her roommate’s hand. 

“Wen, I can cook microwave popcorn,” the light-haired girl complained, “You literally just put it in there and hit ‘start’. Simple.”

Wendy made her way around the counter, placing the un-popped bag on the surface. “I didn’t say you couldn’t – I just don’t want you eating it before Irene gets here.”

“We have plenty of popcorn to last the night, Wendy,” Seulgi emphasized her statement by holding up a newly-opened box. “Besides, I wasn’t going to cook it right now; I was just putting it in there.” 

“Whatever. You still have to clean up –” Wendy gestured to the messy living room, “– before your company arrives. Make it presentable.” 

The taller girl grumbled as she trudged to their tv, muttering something about “she’s _my_ friend” and “hate horror anyway”.

“Excuse me?” Came the questioning response.

“You won’t even be here,” Seulgi began, “Who cares if it’s spotless?”

“ _I_ care, woman,” Wendy tossed a rag at her, her cousin skillfully dodging it and picking up some books laying on the couch. “We both live here, after all. I want to leave a good impression.”

“It’s just Irene, what do you care? It’s not like she’s the president of the university,” 

Wendy rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter who it is – we should be clean no matter what.”  

Her mind was suddenly filled with light giggles and deep maroon hair pairing with crescent eyes and a warm smile. She shook her head, making her way to the door. 

“I’m going to the school to practice some more. Call me if you need anything.” Wendy decided, making sure to grab her guitar from the stand before leaving. 

Seulgi continued her straightening up, not looking up as she bid her roommate farewell. “Later. Don’t forget your key.”

Wendy rolled her eyes again. _Stupid, stubborn bear._ She closed the door behind her, guitar in hand, promptly making her way down hallway. 

_ Yes, I’ll need to distract myself tonight _ , she sighed. _Good thing I hate horror movies._

* * *

Wendy turned her key in the door, fingers aching and throat dry. She might have overdone it with her vocal exercises – singing anything and everything her range would allow. The bitter cold stung at her nimble fingers as she gripped the handle and walked into her dorm. It was late. Too late for any sane person with morning classes the next day to be awake. 

Yet here she was, greeted by two smiling faces as she set her guitar down, hanging her snow-covered coat to dry. They were dressed in their pajamas, blankets covering their legs and, (what Wendy assumed to be), hot chocolate sitting on the coffee table near the tv. 

“Hey there Wen,” Seulgi raised a hand at her, beckoning her to join them. “Irene was just telling me about how you ran into her earlier at university.”

Wendy closed the door and made her way over to them, sitting on the two-seater opposite the larger couch Irene and Seulgi had positioned themselves on. She grabbed one of the many blankets littering the floor, wrapping it around herself. “It was an accident!” She looked at Irene who was trying not to smile. “I’m sorry, again, I didn’t see you."

Irene waved it off, reassuring her, "Don't apologize - neither of us was hurt so it's fine." 

"How was the movie?” Wendy inquired.

Seulgi barked out a laugh, pointing at Irene accusingly. “Ask this kid. She’s the one that chose it, but we ended up only seeing about 10 minutes of it before she insisted I turn it off.” 

Irene flushed, elbowing her in the side, earning a squeal from the blonde. “You _know_ I don’t like horror movies!” She readjusted herself on the couch, curling her knees to her chest defensively. 

“Then why did you agree to come over and watch one?” Seulgi probed, her tone light. “We could’ve just started off with La La Land instead of Train to Busan.” 

Wendy smiled at the obvious display of friendship between the two, noting the pout on Irene’s face while she protested that musicals are so much better than a movie about people eating other people.

She wondered what kind of _other_ things Irene preferred. 

Once she realized it was futile, Irene abandoned the topic completely and turned to Wendy. “Seulgi mentioned you were practicing at the school. Do you play other instruments?” She brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips, blowing across the top before taking a sip. 

“I don’t really even play the guitar,” Wendy replied, “I only know a few songs that I can sing along to.”

“You sing?” Irene seemed genuinely interested, pulling her legs closer to her body and arms wrapping around them. Wendy spotted a thin line of black wrapped around Irene’s ankle before being completely covered by the blanket. 

Wendy adjusted her own blanket before answering, “Ah, I _can_ sing, if that’s what you’re asking,” She rubbed her head, embarrassed. “I don’t think I can objectively determine if it’s good or not.” 

“ _Come on¸_ Wendy,” Seul said exasperatedly, “If everyone tells you that you’re amazing, then it’s probably true. You should just show her.” She rose from her seat, striding over to Wendy’s guitar. 

Plucking it from its stand, she handed it to Wendy. “Play that song by Jessie J that you love.”

Wendy eyed her skeptically, trying to grasp for any sort of excuse to avoid it.

"....I'd like to hear you, if you don't mind," a hesitant voice came from the opposite couch. "Only if you're comfortable with it, of course."

Wendy looked over at Irene, an encouraging smile playing across her face, eyes twinkling and inviting.

_Oh no, oh dear lord no. You're never going to win against her._

Sighing defeatedly, Wendy took the guitar. Seulgi beamed as her fingers gripped the neck, familiar with its curvature and form. Propping it on her knee, she strummed the beginning chord, feeling two pairs of eyes on her as the back of her neck burned. _Here goes nothing._

“ _The girl who always says yes_ ,” her voice rings out, clear and melodic. 

__“Wants to scream no  
Takes over everyone's stress  
And ignores her own  
The life and soul of the party  
But loves to stay home  
She say's she's not broken-hearted  
But she cries on her own  
  


__Cause I'm going crazy when I'm not okay,  
I keep praying that the cracks don't show my pain,  
Cause even when I'm falling, I say my life is like a dream,  
But I'm fighting through a nightmare,  
Cause I'm not really being me,  
See you don't really know me…”

 

She felt her voice waver as she finished the last line, strumming the final chord. Seulgi grinned, throwing her a quick thumbs up. Wendy glanced at Irene, who wore an almost unreadable expression, somewhere between captivated and serene with attentive eyes and a barely-there smile.  

Wendy cleared her throat, breaking the silence as she placed her guitar on the ground next to her. 

“I’m telling you, Wen,” Seulgi began, “That was –”

 “– Breathtaking.” Irene finished. Wendy’s head snapped up, eyes meeting Irene’s dark brown ones. They were mesmerizing, drawing her in as if she could read her every thought and desire right then and there. The thought itself was almost terrifying.

(She could’ve sworn she saw traces of tears in them.)

Wendy felt a lump in her throat rise, laughing nervously as she swallowed it down and broke their gaze, curling into herself again. Irene furrowed her brow at the action. “Um, thanks. I haven’t sung that one in a while.”

“Really?” Seulgi cocked her head to the side, “I could’ve sworn I heard you sing it just the other day. But then again, I don’t know English very well, so it could’ve been another one.”

“What is it called?” Irene asked softly, not wanting to disturb the smaller girl who looked like she could just disappear inside the blanket she’d wrapped herself in. 

“Oh, um, it’s ‘You Don’t Really Know Me’ by Jessie J,” Wendy supplied, any previous anxiety receding back into her jumbled thoughts. “I heard it back in high school and I fell in love with it immediately.”

Irene nodded her head knowingly, silently noting to look up the translation later. She offered Wendy another (what she thought was a) consoling smile. Singing for them seemed to have drained any remaining energy and lightness out of her, worrying Irene despite barely knowing the girl. 

“I think I’m going to go to bed – it’s been a long day,” Wendy rose from her seat, blanket still firmly cocooning her body. “I hope you don’t have trouble sleeping, Irene.” 

“I don’t think that should be a problem,” Irene replied, confused at the implication. “Should it be?”

Wendy attempted to lighten the atmosphere, sending a devious look to Seulgi with a grin. The taller girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she sipped her now cold hot chocolate.

“This one snores in her sleep,” she explained, barely avoiding a pillow thrown at her by the subject in question. She shrieked, running to bedroom when Seulgi rose from her position on the couch to chase after her. They both nearly toppled to the ground, tripping over blankets and clothes scattered about.

Irene let out a hearty laugh, shaking her head at how easily the younger girl's mood changed. A bedroom door slammed, separating the two parties. 

“And she likes to cuddle up, so be warned!!!” A holler came from the other side of the door. Seulgi threw herself against it, grabbing at the handle and furiously trying to turn it open. 

“Wendy, I swear I’m gonna throw all your food down the garbage disposal!” She vowed, storming away from the door.

“Not unless you want your mom to know!” Wendy countered, voice muffled through the wall. 

“Fine!” She yelled back. Plopping down next to Irene, she sighed in defeat. “I really don’t cuddle, just so you know. You can even have the bed to yourself, if you want.” 

_ How chivalrous,  _ Irene thought. _This little punk is actually a softie._

“I think I’d rather just sleep on the couch,” Irene stated, satisfied with the plush cushions. “I’ve always had trouble sleeping in a bed other than my own.”

“Then I’ll sleep on the other one,” Seulgi decided. “Just so you don’t get lonely out here.” 

Irene flashed her a grateful smile, thoughts of zombies surfacing again. She stretched out on the sofa, lying down and pulling the blanket up to her chin. Seulgi stood, reaching over to switch off the lights before making herself comfortable on the opposite loveseat. 

“And I don’t snore,” she stressed into the dark, earning a chuckle from her friend. 

The room fell silent, Irene feeling her eyelids grow heavy as her breathing steadied, quickly allowing her to drift into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think so far?? Let me know your thoughts!!


	5. Fin

Hey everyone! I wanted to thank you all for showing such support for this story, but I have some unfortunate news. Due to some unfortunate setbacks (life), I won't be finishing this. :( Wishing you all the happiest of holidays!


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